News

Totnes Community Development Society Update

April 6, 2018

Atmos Totnes
Project architects have been updating designs for the Brunel Building. These show detail on meeting, performance and other spaces for local people, community enterprises and organisations, and are based on the brief provided by Totnes people in 2014 and 2015 during a whole range of consultation sessions, and leading to the Community Right to Build Order for the scheme. Look out for more on this in a later newsletter.

Over the winter, our ecology team have been on site surveying in preparation for wildlife protection. For example, the site hosts nine species of bat. Site preparation work involves ensuring that, amongst many other activities, bats are protected throughout the construction period and afterwards when the site is built and lived in. When this work is completed and the appropriate licences obtained, the asbestos in the disused factory buildings can be removed and the buildings then taken down to make way for the new facilities.

Whilst site preparation work continues for Atmos Totnes, contractors Dryer and Butler will also be using the site. This will provide a compound for their team, working on behalf of Network Rail at Totnes station to construct the new passenger bridge.

We look forward to hearing and seeing the reports of students from the University of Plymouth who have recently been working on projects on the Brunel Building. Their work will be examined in May and will contribute to their degree results.

Golden Iris
Totnes Community Development Society is very proud to be working with the young Golden Iris team. They were recently invited to the House of Commons to contribute to an inquiry on mental health, young people and education. This followed their staging of the 2017 Golden Iris festival on related themes, and their desire to see spaces created and run for and by young people to meet the needs of the wider community. Read more.

This young team will be working with TCDS to open up spaces at the Elmhirst building across the road from KEVICC. Keep in touch with this work through this newsletter and online.

The Mansion
The Mansion on Fore Street, managed by Totnes Community Development, and is now home to a wide range of community groups and organisations. More about the activities run at the building will appear in a future newsletter. Meantime, you can find more information about the Mansion, including community space available to rent, here: http://totnescommunity.org.uk/mansion/

Receiving updates
As we update our systems, if you would like to stay in touch with the wider work of Totnes Community Development Society and receive future news updates, including about Atmos Totnes, please re-confirm your email address: http://bit.ly/TotnesCommunitySignup

Thank you for your support,
Directors, Totnes Community Development Society